The London Lounge

I was sadden to day to learn that Britain has banned smoking (here is am talking about my love of cigar smoking) in not only pubs, restauants, hotel bars,....... but in Private Clubs!

Has the world gone mad! The only place you can smoke (for a visitor) it seems in England is in your hotel room. Monstrous!

The ban takes affect next summer, 2007, so I will fly now to London more often, to enjoy my last cigars, in the lobby bar at the Goring Hotel. A pleasure I always looked foward too. It is what makes London, London and now that pleasure is taken away.

My Edwardian grandfather must be rolling around in his grave.

What's next? No Malt Whiskey?

ah!, but you can smoke in such places as prisons or care homes!

Indeed the world has gone stark, raving, mad!

This is indeed very sad news.

London's bars and pubs, climate, traditions and general sense bonhomie were made for enjoying a good cigar or pipe.

It's just one more innocent pleasure taken away from us by the bureaucrats and self appointed guardians of our well being.

At least one has another year or so until the ban takes effect.

Is there no "loophole" for establishments willing to provide separate accomodations for smokers - accomodations which include special ventilation?

No, none.

The exemption for private clubs was specifically killed by Labour's busybody hard left so as to protect the poor employees suffering from the smoke of the club members.

Now they will suffer from unemployment as we will smoke at home. Justice is sometimes hard to swallow.

TVD wrote:No, none.

Now they will suffer from unemployment as we will smoke at home. Justice is sometimes hard to swallow.

TVD, how right you are, this from today's London Times, Letters to the Editor

Sir, Supposing that all smokers immediately stopped, what would be the likely effect in terms of job losses and total cost to the Treasury? What would that cost translate into as an increase in income tax?

M. F. CLEWS
Daventry, Northants

A ban in restaurants I can support but how tragic that this legislation can apply to our clubs and pubs.

I am curious about the terms of exclusion for prisons and nursing homes, defined as "more like a home". One wonders if any clubs will attempt to use this argument. A club where I am unable to relax with a cigar will be a lesser home, I must say.

Noteworthy also that Cameron didn't vote but friends were quoted as saying, " ... he is against banning things. He would have voted against."

Whilst I neither expect or wish a future Cameron government to repeal the legislation, I suspect they might seek to moderate its harshness.

Being quite new to this forum, I would have hoped that my first post would be on a more cheerful note. However -- and I blame tonight's multiple glasses of claret for this -- I can not help myself in expressing my heartfelt sympathy for the Londoners who might not be able to live life to the fullest anymore. In Sweden, where I reside, we have lived with a smoking ban for almost a year, not only in bars but also in other public indoor spaces. Even in the gathering halls of an order I belong to, smoking is now banned. Imagine an assembly of three hundred gentlemen in tails deprived of their late-night cigars! If I did not oppose revolutions by principle, I would be tempted to insitigate one.

By the way, last Saturday I had the pleausure of enjoying a 1981 vintage Montecristo No. 3 at Davidoff's on Jermyn St. Delightful and highly recommended.


Cheers,

Marcus Bergman

Marcus, how right you are!

btw, does Davidoff sell vintage cigars at Jermyn St.?

Thank you, uppercase!

Yes, you will find a small cabinet just to your left as you enter the cigar room. To my taste, a fine selection. Good luck!

I know how you feel in London. In Chicago, about a month ago, a law was passed banning smoking in all public buildings. Even on the sidewalks, you must be 15 ft away from an entrance before you can smoke. I have come to the conclusion, based on the -30 degree windchill this weekend, that the city is trying to kill off anyone who smokes. Good luck to all of you over there, I would have thought that politicians had larger problems to deal with right now.

People smoke in bars all the time in New York City, particularly late at night, when the smoke gendarmes have gone home. But in California, I notice, people tend to obey the law rather scrupulously. How will Londoners behave?

Collarmelton wrote:People smoke in bars all the time in New York City, particularly late at night, when the smoke gendarmes have gone home. But in California, I notice, people tend to obey the law rather scrupulously. How will Londoners behave?

I actually found one last refuge in Chicago: a two story used book store in which I was told by the owner, "If I'm downstairs, how will I know what is going on upstairs?". I was very happy to say the least.

James.